Dorset Young Remembers

Over the course of a year 25 young volunteers, half of whom have additional needs, completed a very successful project clocking up over 1400 volunteering hours. Supported by Dorset Youth Association (DYA) Project Worker, heritage partners, DYA volunteers and the Young Roots Heritage Lottery Fund they collected memories of DYA club and group leaders and members from across seven decades.

“Youth Clubs are a world of fun and friendship where caring leaders inspire young people to become well rounded, confident individuals and the leaders of tomorrow”.

They produced a high energy workshop helping young people to understand timelines and the history of their club. They presented it all in an innovative multimedia exhibition “Hiking to Hotpants, Tents to Twister” at the Dorset County Museum. The group were inspired to go on and formed the Routes Fundraising Fanatics. Working closely with DYA staff they have completed seven successful funding bids; including one for a second Heritage Lottery Project called Walking In Their Shoes.

“I am really proud of the commitment shown by the young people and support offered by staff. The group learned many new skills from older members of the community, Trustees, Volunteers and Staff which helped them to produce the exhibition and to celebrate a unique part of Dorset’s heritage”. DYA Director Dave Thompson.

Impact

The project also developed a blog which encouraged young people to do the same and start fundraising, it reached 1600 viewers.

The group took on roles such as press officers, designers, event managers and researchers all experimenting with fund effective ways to share and display information.

They also had a following of 70 organisations on their Twitter account.

Latest

We have successfully secured funding through the Royal British Legion to enable us to deliver free of charge, the highly evidenced Strengthening Families Programme to families connected with local service bases, both currently serving and veterans, and those families within the local community of the service base, to help build relationships during times of extreme pressure and to ease some of the difficulties that can be faced due to the transient nature some families can face.

We have successfully secured funding through the Royal British Legion to enable us to deliver free of charge, the highly evidenced Strengthening Families Programme to families connected with local service bases, both currently serving and veterans, and those families within the local community of the service base, to help build relationships during times of extreme pressure and to ease some of the difficulties that can be faced due to the transient nature some families can face.